#1 What Is It About This Image That Makes Me Feel So Sad (Not My Cat)
I honestly think it has to do with the fact that this person loved their cat so much they not only got her Christmas gifts, but they used film to document her, got the picture developed, and added it to what I'm assuming is a scrapbook. Penny was so loved!
anon:
The world this photo depicts hasn't existed for some time. Also that cat is long [gone].
#3 What? Ok, Noted
Ohhh so this is the box they talk about in therapy
Nivlac93:
This is what happens why you try to translate safety warnings literally between languages.
Scrolling through this list of images likely drew out bewilderment. Maybe you were left with questions, much like the people who posted them. Either way, these images drew a strong reaction from you.
That’s because our brain craves novelty, which includes bizarre, never-before-seen images. According to neuroscience professor Dr. Sylvain Moreno, such reactions have evolutionary roots.
#4 What Is The Next Move?
Jump 180 degrees, grab the edge of the concrete on the way down, swing into the window doing a spinning double backflip, reach out your hand and demand your beer back.
#5 What Is This Earthworm Doing In My Toilet??
Looks like the backstroke
anon:
Real talk, this could mean you have a downstream rupture in your sewer line and it crawled in and up the pipe.
#6 What!
phobosthewicked:
She has a piercing.
pedeztrian:
[Nonsense] made by a man. My baby mama (and I dare say most women) had to get rid of her rings. Not to mention the choking and latching hazards presented. If you’re nursing with rings, you’re being irresponsible!
“It’s rooted in survival,” Dr. Moreno told Science World. “We need to understand if novel stimuli in our environment are dangerous or not.”
For an analogy, Dr. Moreno used the example of a musician hearing a new sound for the first time. As he explained, their brains are already trained to detect differences in sounds, and hearing a new one makes them react strongly.
#7 What Do Owls Surrounding A Car With Moth Balls All Around It Mean?
just_lerk:
I suspect that he's trying to deter rats from getting into the jeep.
glitchygreymatter:
Or squirrels. I once got called to a AAA jumpstart for a Rav 4 that had been nested in by a squirrel. It ate both battery cables.
#8 What Bit Me? It’s Itchy
Looks like tick. Ring after tick bite can be an indicator of Lyme disease. Probably worth a visit to the dr.
#9 What Is This? A Cymbal In His Car?
Status cymbal.
EyesOfEris:
Need it for when you're drumming on the steering wheel.
Wactout:
It’s a cymbal in a car.
In some cases, confusion from something seemingly nonsensical creates interest. It’s likely why the “What” subreddit has a growing following, and it’s likely why absurd trends take flight. One recent example is the “6-7 craze” that became immensely popular among the younger generation.
As clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Sam Goldstein explains, the confusing nature of the 6-7 mania turned it into a communication tool in itself.
#10 What Does “Tickler” Mean On My Prescription?
In a prescription context, a "tickler" is an internal reminder system or notification used by pharmacies and healthcare professionals to flag specific tasks or follow-ups related to a patient's medication. It is a memory aid to ensure important deadlines or actions are not missed.
#11 What Is This Vertical Line That Separates The Pills?
Rigidity, to reduce the chance of pills accidentally popping out on their own when in a pocket/bag etc and the strip or box might get squeezed.
#12 What Was He Thinking
_luna_Iover_:
I tried this, for some reason the water wasn't hot when I took it out of the freezer. Waiting for further instructions.
SerpentBride:
You have to reheat it obviously. But it saves you time because it’s already boiled.
“That difference, adult confusion versus kids’ delight, is what makes the whole (6-7) thing so interesting,” Dr. Goldstein wrote. “The trend itself doesn’t really matter. What matters is what it shows: How kids connect, how they talk, and how they make sense of the world they’re growing up in.”
#13 What The Heck
Ooh! I know this one! Artificial purple coloring is actually a reaction to acidity! So as the water freezes, the concentration is thrown off, and the acidity rises because the coloring and flavoring are the last parts to freeze, so it reacts and turns green. As it melts, it will turn purple again.
Also adding on: if you ingest enough of it, it'll turn your waste green as well, so just be aware of that.
#15 What? Pardon?
All these fortune cookies are yours. Except this cookie. Attempt no fortune there.
MaybeNo9031:
I mean that is a good tactic to get them to buy another fortune cookie.
Seeing an image that doesn’t make sense can also briefly disorient us. We try to figure out what we are looking at, which triggers a “sense-seeking” drive. Our brains essentially go into overdrive, trying to make sense of the absurdity.
According to linguistics expert and educator Julie Sedivy, it’s because we humans are “meaning-extraction machines.”
#16 What Kind Of Chair Is This At The Coffee Shop?
Defensive design. This kinda stuff is built/used under the guise of "artistic" but in actuality it's for a specific purpose.
"Here, have a seat. But don't get too comfortable, we need you to leave."
#17 What Is The Science Behind This
Your eyes make tiny involuntary movements called microsaccades, even when you try to stare directly at something. When you look at certain patterns or textures, these eye movements interact with the pattern and create the illusion of motion. The cat isn’t shaking—your eye movements are producing the illusion that it’s jiggling.
#18 20 Dollar Bill With Blue Seal Juggling A Ball On The Back
It’s a blue seal of approval.
Burnaenae:
Just a stamp, different reasons to do so, usually for a casino or something to see if money's been there before. It mostly just looks cool and doesn't do anything to the value.
“When we're faced with a message that's been created by another human being for the purpose of communicating with us, we throw all our cognitive energies into trying to decipher its intent,” Sedivy explained.
“We're masters at reading between the lines. Think of all the meaning we suck out of a casual ‘hey, are you doing anything on Friday?’”
#19 What Is Going On…
Mmm an ice cold refreshing can of can.
Accomplished-One7476:
double lid during the canning process.
